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What can the New Year expect to bring to the UK property market? Some of the early signs may lie in the current property news headlines. Let’s take a look behind just some of those stories …

Experts predict modest house price growth and falling mortgage rates in 2025

In its edition of the 30th of December, the Scottish Sun offered predictions for the housing market in the year ahead.

It began with an observation about the roller-coaster ride that had characterised mortgage rates during the past 12 months. They had moved quite significantly up and down, settling with an annual average of 5.95% for a 2-year and 5.53% for a 5-year fixed-rate loan, while the Bank of England’s current base lending rate stands at 4.75%.

Analysts say that provided the housing market remains stable and inflation remains under 2%, the year ahead is likely to see further reductions in the base lending rate.

While movements in house prices are more difficult to predict, commentators expect an increase in demand during the first quarter of the year as buyers attempt to beat the coming increase in Stamp Duty. The remainder of the year is likely to remain reasonably flat, with an average increase in prices of around 2.5%.

What’s in store for the 2025 rental market?

It was left to the online listings website Rightmove on the 24th of December to offer its predictions for the rental market in 2025.

The demand from prospective tenants remains high. Although demand has dropped below its recent peak, it is still markedly higher than before the Covid pandemic.

Set against such high rates of demand, however, tenants continue to battle the issue of affordability. Although average UK rents have shot up by some 40% during the past four years, average earnings have risen by only 28% – leaving a significant affordability gap.

After several years of especially steep rent increases, therefore, market analysts predict a relatively “normal” average rise – across the UK as a whole – of around 3% in the 12 months to come.

New revised timetable for Labour’s Renters Rights Bill

The current government’s Renters’ Rights Bill continues to inch forward, reported Landlord Today on the 30th of December.

It is scheduled to reach its Report Stage in mid-January, followed quite swiftly by a third reading of the Bill in the House of Commons.

Together with any proposed amendments to the legislation, the Bill then moved to the House of Lords where a decision and the final enactment into law are expected to be completed sometime this Spring.

Zoopla: December house price index

The online listings website Zoopla published its latest House Price Index recently.

A buoyant housing market in the past 12 months results in the biggest volume in four years of sales awaiting completion – more than 280,000 transactions valued at some £104 billion and an increase of 30% on the previous year’s figures.

Since the Autumn budget, buyers have shown greater price sensitivity and have typically paid less than the asking price. Over the year, house price inflation now stands at +1.9% – compared with -1.2% this time last year.

The website predicts modest house price inflation of 2.5% in the year ahead (just as the Scottish Sun, above) and sales volumes of around 1.15 million transactions.

MPs urge government to boost supply with empty homes

Various housing organisations have joined Members of Parliament in calling for England’s 265,000 permanently empty homes (longer than six months) to be brought back into residential use. This would ease the pressure on local councils that are currently providing expensive temporary housing to more than 123,000 households, according to a story in Property Wire on the 20th of December.

The inter-Parliamentary group and its housing organisation members identified key areas in which action could be taken to bring long-term empty housing back into practical use:

  • Reform probate rules to prevent indefinite exemptions from the empty homes premium – a surcharge that enables councils to impose additional tax charges on vacant properties.
  • Increase flexibility within the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) to allow a larger proportion of funding to be allocated towards bringing empty homes back into use. At present, this is capped at 10% outside London.
  • Launch a national empty homes strategy to support the delivery of the government’s 1.5 million housing target.
  • Introduce a statutory obligation for councils to actively address empty homes as part of their housing responsibilities.
  • Revise empty dwelling management orders (EDMOs) to empower councils to take action on empty homes after six months, instead of the current two-year threshold.

Few things are likely to generate an increase in the blood pressure of many landlords than the subject of squatters.

Unfortunately, no brief article of this nature can cover a multitude of different situations that might be defined as squatting or indeed the various complicated legal implications arising from them.

But there is no doubt that dealing with squatters can be stressful, traumatic, and expensive.

What follows is a brief discussion of some of the basic principles. If you have any specific questions, you may wish to read the government website and – if the problem is, quite literally on your doorstep – consider the possibility of legal advice.

Squatting is defined by law, not landlords

Remember that because you consider someone in your property to be a squatter, doesn’t necessarily mean that the law will agree.

One of your first steps, therefore, is to make sure that you understand that the squatters concerned are genuinely squatters. For example, tenants who are behind with the rent or with whom you are currently engaged in eviction proceedings are not, under the law, categorised as squatters. If follows that if your tenant has been issued with a notice to vacate but stubbornly stays put, that does not make them a squatter.

As a general principle, the term relates to individuals who have forced entry to an unoccupied property without your authority or the due legal permissions.

Stay calm and let the law and others resolve it for you

Today, squatting is relatively rare compared with incidences of the problem just a few decades ago. Problems are likely to be quite quickly resolved nowadays and – frustrating as it may be if it happens to you – a little patience might be necessary.

It is important that you stay calm. You must not, under any circumstances, try to use force or threats of force to evict squatters that have occupied your property. It would be wise to avoid any form of face-to-face confrontation. If you are communicating with people on your property whom you believe should not be there, try to do so in the presence of the police.

Over recent decades, the law has changed to give groups such as the police considerably more powers to deal with squatters than they may have had at one time.

If your property is classified as residential, fit for occupation, and you discover that your property has been illegally occupied, you should immediately notify the police without hesitation. Do not delay as this might be construed as a tacit agreement for the squatters concerned to stay on your property.

If you think that your property has been illegally occupied by squatters, therefore, you might want to arrange for the delivery to them a letter confirming that they are committing what appears to be an illegal act.

Do not go round to your property for a confrontation or attempt to sort things out yourself. That is a recipe for a potential disaster and conflict that might undermine your legal position.

Prevention is better than cure

In the case of residential properties, a whole range of circumstances may arise which lead to the premises standing empty and unoccupied for potentially extended periods of time. Even when they are in the active process of renovation or redecoration, they are likely to stand vacant for a lengthy period.

Obviously, it is preferable to avoid squatters getting into a property in the first place rather than try to get them out after the event.

Therefore, you should take all reasonable steps to try to disguise the fact that your property is unoccupied. That is perhaps also likely to be useful in terms of deterring thieves and vandals who may be more reluctant to try and enter a property if it appears to be occupied.

There are plenty of tips and suggestions available about ways in which you may help to hide the fact that a home is empty and unoccupied – measures might include the installation of timer switches on lighting in rooms around the building or even something as simple as changing the positions of the curtains (from drawn to open every once in a while).

Closely linked to the above tip, it is important to do whatever you need to in order to avoid broadcasting the fact that your property is sitting temporarily unoccupied. Do not mention it in letting advertisements or by hanging things such as “To Let” notices in windows.

Our Guide to unoccupied property has further tips and information.

If your property is going to be empty for longer than a month or so, remember that you may need to arrange standalone unoccupied property insurance – since any existing home insurance or landlord’s insurance is likely to become severely limited, or may even lapse altogether, once the place has been unoccupied for longer than 30 to 45 consecutive days (the exact interval varying from one insurer to another).

Whether it is existing home insurance, landlord insurance, or even unoccupied property insurance, you might also want to check any provision in the policy for cover for certain types of legal fees and expenses. You may find that some insurance policies specifically exclude cover for the cost of legal fees or expenses involved in the eviction of either tenants or squatters.

Non-residential property

The law on squatting is more complicated if your property is classified as commercial property rather than residential.

If that is the case, you may need to seek a form of court order to force the eviction of the parties concerned – even though you might have considered them to be “squatters” by common definition. While the unauthorised occupation of a residential property is defined as a criminal offence, that is not the case with commercial or non-residential buildings – and you are likely to need a court repossession order instead.

The fact that any property stands empty and unoccupied does not, in itself, make that property “non-residential”.

What to do about squatters?

Squatting in residential property. Thankfully, however, since changes to the law which came into effect in 2012, the problem is no longer as commonplace as it once was.

If you own a non-residential or commercial property that is sitting empty, the position may be more ambiguous and potentially more expensive for you to resolve.

Please note, this information should be used as guide only and is based on the author’s understanding of current legislation. Please always seek professional advice.

You have a buy-to-let business. The business relies on the rents you receive from tenants. It is vital to the success of your business that you have tenants to occupy your let property. And that means marketing just that opportunity to prospective tenants. So, what are some of the golden rules for successfully marketing your property to tenants?

Online marketing

In this day and age, of course, probably the most effective – and certainly the cheapest – way of getting your message across to as wide a target audience as possible is using online marketing.

Although a good letting agent might be worth their weight in gold – especially in the difficult and time-consuming business of selecting and vetting potential tenants – online marketing allows you to do much of the job yourself.

Thanks to the flexibility of the internet, online marketing also allows you a useful, multi-pronged approach. Indeed, a common enough belt-and-braces approach by some landlords is to instruct letting agents for some of the work but still engage in a fair amount of online marketing themselves. The good news is that there are a number of cost-effective ways that you can market your property. You don’t need to be an internet wizard or spend buckets full of money.

Here we share some ideas and suggestions …

  • Social media

Our first suggestion is that you use social media platforms as fully and as extensively as possible.

Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can allow you to easily spread the word.

But don’t be too specific as to the address – an unoccupied property is attractive to burglars, and while you know your own circle of contacts, your message could end up in the hands of someone you’d rather it not.

Keep the advert succinct, professional, and make it easy for anyone interested to be able to get in touch with you.

  • Websites for landlords

Look online for websites and forums specifically for landlords for ideas on where you can also advertise.

Many of these sites and forums will have up-to-date web addresses of places where you can place (sometimes) free advertisements.

  • Who’s your ideal tenant?

Think about your property and your target tenant – if it is a student let, for example, then contact local universities and colleges to see if you can be placed on their accommodation lists.

Similarly, if it is a smart flat, suitable for professional types, get in touch with nearby corporate businesses who may be looking for long-term corporate lets.

  • Get networking

Join local business networking groups – these attract all types of businesspeople, usually with a wide circle of contacts, who you can tell about your property.

The more people you tell, the more chance you have of finding a tenant.

Online content

If you are planning on any kind of online marketing, you must pay close and careful attention to the appeal and accuracy of the content you use – whether that is text, images, videos, or even discussion forums. You might be surprised at just how easily some landlords have seriously erred in the way they have marketed their property, with negative results that have affected their chances of letting the accommodation.

Here are some of the issues to consider when developing your online marketing campaign:

  • Photographs – quality first

Whatever you may wish to be the case, the reality is that, with the possible exception of your initial headline title, little of your text will be looked at seriously until your potential tenants have studied your photographs first.

So, it doesn’t matter how flowing and brilliantly descriptive your words are, if your photographs are of poor quality then the chances are your carefully constructed prose will never get read.

With that in mind, avoid poorly-lit photos that show little or nothing of your property.

It is also likely to be a false economy to cut down on the cost and number of photographs you use to try and save money.

  • Photographs – relevance

Another classic mistake that is frequently seen relates to photographs that are, by any definition, irrelevant – to the point of being useless.

Illustrations there include things such as photographs of individual items of furniture, kitchen appliances, or the front door in a context where nothing else of the externals of the property can be seen.

Broadly speaking, potential tenants want to see photographs of the full facade of the property both front and back, plus good wide-angle shots of all the major rooms.

If space in your advertisement permits, try to include one or two of the views out of your main windows.

In particular, make efforts to ensure that your rooms are tidy at the point of being photographed and are free of human or animal occupants.

  • Descriptions

Your descriptions should be full and comprehensive but without being verbose.

Make sure you talk about those things people are likely to be interested in and avoid those which they are not.

Tenants, of course, are going to be far more interested in the dimensions of the kitchen and how many bedrooms your property has.

Use simple everyday language and try to avoid replicating the flowery and occasionally ridiculous descriptions used by some estate agents.

Above all, never lie or deliberately attempt to mislead people in your descriptions.

  • Spelling and grammar

Make sure that your online content is free of spelling errors or major grammatical gaffes.

They can be hugely off-putting to potential tenants – particularly if you are trying to market a property you regard as being prestige.

If you are not confident in your abilities regarding spelling, grammar, or punctuation, you might want to consider asking someone else to write the content for you.

These are just some ideas of how you can advertise your investment property – and many of them are entirely free. All it takes is a little effort, and your property could soon be tenanted again.

Finally …

… don’t forget to make sure your property has adequate insurance while it is standing empty. With most landlords’ insurance policies, once a property has been unoccupied for 30-45 consecutive days, then the policy will become invalid and you’ll typically need unoccupied property insurance.

At Cover4LetProperty, we will be only too happy to advise you on the most suitable cover, so please feel free to get in touch!

If you have to leave your home temporarily unoccupied for a month or more, it becomes not only more vulnerable to the risks of loss or damage but might also pose a hazard to neighbours and passersby. These and other issues need to be addressed to comply with the legal and other aspects of your temporarily vacant property.

Hazardous structures

As the owner of the building, you may be held legally responsible for any injury or damage it causes to others – your neighbours or passersby. In other words, your unoccupied property must not pose a health and safety hazard to others.

Broken glass on doors and windows for example, could cause complaints.

To prevent your home becoming a nuisance or hazard to neighbours and the public, you are obliged to keep it in a reasonable condition and good state of repair.

Legal requirements may include keeping the property in reasonable condition to avoid it becoming a nuisance or hazard to neighbours and the public.

Fire safety

A closely related health and safety aspect is the fire safety of an unoccupied home.

You must make sure that your unoccupied home continues to comply with all the relevant fire safety regulations – and that you remove any flammable materials and maintain your smoke detectors, fire alarms, and extinguishers where necessary.

Further useful advice and guidance is available on the government website.

Council tax

Don’t forget that even when your home has been empty for any length of time, you are still responsible for paying the Council Tax when it falls due.

This is discussed further in our blog: The hidden things you need to know when you have an empty property.

Do note that since your liability for Council Tax may vary from one authority to another, you will do best to contact the particular council concerned.

Regulatory compliance

Owners must comply with local regulations regarding property standards, even if the property is unoccupied. For example, some councils require vacant properties to meet specific external appearance standards to avoid impacting neighbourhood aesthetics.

The need for unoccupied property insurance

In addition to any legislative and regulatory obligations for your temporarily vacant home, there are also conditions your unoccupied property insurance provider is almost certain to impose.

Unoccupied property insurance is necessary since your regular home insurance is likely to become severely restricted – or may even lapse altogether – once your home has been unoccupied for longer than 30 to 60 consecutive days (the precise limit varying from one insurer to another).

Beware that even though unoccupied property insurance may restore the safeguards and protection your home continues to need, there are still several conditions with which you’ll almost always need to comply:

  • to mitigate the risk of loss or damage, you must take all reasonable security measures for your home – locks, alarms, and perhaps even security cameras to ward off vandals and prevent break-ins;
  • depending on your insurer, you may be required to keep the policy at an ambient temperature to avoid frozen pipes etc;
  • some insurers and local authorities advise turning off water and gas supplies in unoccupied properties to prevent potential hazards like water damage or gas leaks. So it is important to check with your unoccupied property insurance provider to understand what your obligations are;
  • although your unoccupied property insurance may provide public liability cover for anyone injured in your empty home – even those who have entered it illegally – your insurer still needs you to take every precaution against such unauthorised access; and
  • to ensure that your home never gives any impression of having been abandoned and to check on the need for any emergency repairs or maintenance, your insurer will also likely insist on regular visits and inspections – when every inspection visit must be appropriately recorded and logged.

Throughout the time your home is temporarily unoccupied, therefore, there are a number of legal and other requirements with which you must comply.

Further reading:

Guide to Unoccupied Property

Technological solutions for monitoring unoccupied properties

If you are a landlord of a listed property, then making sure you get the most appropriate cover and at a cost-effective price, will no doubt be important to you.

We are pleased to confirm that at Cover4LetProperty, we can offer terms for the majority of risks including:

  • Grade II
  • Scottish Grade Listed Properties (we offer Grade B and Grade C Scotland but not Grade A.)

Get a quote online for landlords listed buildings insurance

Our online quotation system will offer immediate landlord insurance quotes for the majority of these risks although some of them may “refer”. This means that will then contact you with our quotation once we have obtained terms for you.

Why may the quote “refer”

The reason we cannot offer terms immediately for some listed buildings can vary but it will depend upon the age of the, the grade listing, sums insured, tenant type etc.

Our landlord insurance policies will not cater for thatched properties but if you would still like some advice on where you can obtain a quotation for these specialist type of properties, then please speak to a member of our team who will be more than happy to help.

Cover4LetProperty are proud to offer what we consider are competitive landlords insurance quotes for the majority of Grade Listed buildings. You can rest assured that you will be dealing with a Broker who understands the most appropriate let property insurance policy cover you require – and who can offer it at what we consider is a cost-effective price.

If your property – whether your home or a property you let – becomes empty, then it is important that you ensure you have the correct type of property insurance cover – i.e., Unoccupied property cover (also known as empty property insurance).

What does “empty” mean?

Buildings insurance for empty property typically becomes necessary when your property becomes officially unoccupied in the eyes of your insurer. This may be a question of degree. For example, if you pop out for a pint of milk, your house may be empty, but an insurer may not class that as being “unoccupied.” Likewise, having a two-week holiday is unlikely to meet their definition.

Instead, insurers may vary in their definitions of when a property becomes “empty,” but 30-45 consecutive days of being vacant may typically make a property “unoccupied”, depending on your insurer.

At this point, your standard buildings insurance may offer only restricted cover – or may even lapse – leaving your property vulnerable.

Why is unoccupied property insurance important?

Whether it is a buy to let property or your own home, empty properties may be particularly at risk from damage. For example, with no one there to notice on the same day that damage is being caused by a small leak that, left unchecked, brings the ceiling down, such damage cannot be dealt with as quickly as it might have been.

Another issue to consider is that you may not be the only person who has noticed that the property is empty. During this time, your property is at heightened risk of damage, theft, vandalism, or arson. Without the correct type of insurance, you could be left to cover significant costs yourself.

Unoccupied property insurance provides specialised cover for these risks, ensuring your property is protected even when no one is there to monitor it.

Examples of when a property may become empty

There could be any number of valid reasons as to why your property becomes empty. Some examples may include you:

  • working away on business;
  • living away from your home while it is being renovated;
  • taking an extended holiday:
  • having a probate property;
  • being the owner of an investment property that is standing empty during refurbishment or because of a tenancy void;
  • and so on.

And if your property is unoccupied, then empty property insurance can step in and replace the cover your current buildings insurance offered.

In fact, if you have a mortgage on your property, whether you are a landlord or owner-occupier, you typically may legally be obliged to have adequate buildings insurance on your property.

Check out our short video: Do I need a specialist unoccupied property insurance policy?

What does unoccupied property contents cover?

Product features and benefits can vary depending on the policy and the provider. Generally, however, unoccupied property insurance can cover:

  • Buildings: Protects the structure of your property from risks such as fire, flood, and structural damage.
  • Contents (optional): Covers belongings left in the property. This may be added to your policy or purchased separately.
  • Liability: Offers protection if someone is injured on the property during its unoccupied period.

Additionally, some policies can be tailored for specific situations, such as properties undergoing renovations or those empty for extended periods.

Quick, practical tips for protecting your empty property

While insurance is essential, proactive steps can help reduce risks:

  1. Regular inspections: Arrange for someone to check the property frequently for issues like leaks or vandalism.
  2. Security upgrades: Install alarms, CCTV, or secure locks to deter burglars.
  3. Basic maintenance: Keep the property in good condition—set heating to prevent pipes freezing and remove any post or signs that the property is unoccupied.
  4. Inform neighbours: Let trusted neighbours know the property is empty so they can report any suspicious activity.

Our Guide to protecting your property goes in to this further.

Legal obligations and financial risks

As we mentioned before, for properties with a mortgage, it’s often a legal requirement to maintain adequate buildings insurance, whether occupied or not. Failure to do so could breach your mortgage terms and lead to penalties. Additionally, landlords should ensure compliance with any tenancy laws that may apply to vacant properties.

Do note that failure to notify your insurance provider that your property is empty could render your existing landlord insurance or owner-occupier buildings and contents insurance policy invalid. This means that in the event of claim, it will typically not be successful.

Finding empty property insurance

Unoccupied property insurance is a specialised product. At Cover4LetProperty, our unoccupied property insurance policies can cover residential empty homes, unoccupied commercial properties and homes that are undergoing renovations. So, please feel free to get a quote or call us today on 01702 606 301.

By ensuring your property is covered during unoccupied periods, you can safeguard your investment and gain invaluable peace of mind.

Further reading:

If you’re looking to build up a portfolio of properties in which to invest, one of the first and most critical questions is likely be how do you finance your portfolio purchase.

General principles

Investment in property is akin to any other business initiative:

  • the prospects of a positive yield from the investment made in terms of the income generated, in this case from your receipt of rental income;
  • any capital appreciation in the value of the assets employed – in this case the anticipated increase in the value of the property portfolio when it is eventually put on the market for sale.

Finance is raised for such purchases either by seeking a loan from an interested party, who is then likely to take a charge on the property bought, or from investors who look forward to a share in the profits of your property portfolio.

How does this work in practice?

Buy to let mortgages

Probably the most common way of raising finance for the purchase of any property is through a mortgage – a lender advances a percentage of the funds necessary for the purchase, whilst using the property or properties themselves as security against repayment of the loan.

It is important to remember that in the case of a property portfolio – bought for the purpose of raising income from rents and the potentially eventual re-sale of the assets – the venture is entirely business oriented.

The mortgages raised in this way are focused on the anticipated success of the business and this marks them out from the mortgages raised by prospective owner-occupiers who are looking for somewhere to live.

Mortgages for property portfolios are advanced on the basis of the estimated affordability of the loan in terms of rental yields from the business; residential mortgages for homebuyers are advanced on the basis of the purchaser’s ability to repay the loan – typically from the income earned in their line of employment.

A property investment portfolio is expected to be sold at some date in the future, so buy to let mortgages are nearly always interest-only mortgages, with the capital repaid on the eventual sale of the properties concerned.

Furthermore, a mortgage advanced for the prospective owner-occupier is one for the very home in which they plan to live.

Bank loans

Traditionally, banks have been one of the principal sources of funds for any aspiring business.

When advancing a business loan, the bank has also weighed up the potential success of the proposed venture in terms of the yield on the assets employed. In the case of a property portfolio, of course, this is measured by the anticipated rental yield and the expected appreciation in the market value of the properties concerned.

Any loan advanced by a bank in this way is almost certain to result in the lender taking a charge on the assets purchased, by way of security against the repayment of the loan. That charge is effectively a mortgage on the property, and the type of mortgage advanced for such a business venture is a buy to let mortgage.

In other words, banks are also in the business of providing buy to let mortgages.

Remortgaging

Landlords with existing properties that have equity in them may decide to remortgage their buy to let property to release some of that equity which can then be put towards a new investment.

This can be particularly useful for expanding a portfolio as it avoids the need for raising entirely new capital while leveraging the existing value of your properties.

However, it is crucial to ensure that the rental income from your properties covers the repayments for the remortgage and that you factor in potential risks, such as fluctuations in rental income or property value.

Angel investors and venture capital

It might be possible to raise funding for the purchase of your property portfolio from angel investors or venture capitalists. From sources such as this, you might expect to attract investments rather than loans or mortgages.

Once again, however, any investment is going to be made only on the expectation of a positive rental yield from the purchase of a property portfolio which also appreciates in capital value over a given number of years.

The difference with such an investment, however, is that those funding the business may be looking to a return on their investment – a share in the success of the business – rather than securing any loan against the business assets.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding has emerged as a modern way to finance property investments. Platforms specifically designed for property crowdfunding allow multiple investors to pool their money together to fund the purchase of properties.

This approach is often seen as an innovative and accessible way for smaller investors to participate in the property market. However, it also requires careful consideration, as the terms of such investments can vary significantly, and the returns are often dependent on the platform’s performance as well as market conditions.

Joint ventures

A joint venture (JV) is another potential route for financing a property portfolio. In a JV, two or more parties combine their resources – such as capital, expertise, or existing property – to achieve mutual financial goals.

This approach can be particularly beneficial if one party has the financial means while another brings in operational or market expertise. However, entering a joint venture requires a clear agreement and understanding between parties to ensure transparency and avoid disputes in the future.

Tax considerations

Financing your portfolio is not just about finding the money; it’s also about managing your tax liabilities.

It’s also important to consider stamp duty land tax (SDLT). For buy-to-let properties, an additional surcharge applies to the purchase price, which can significantly affect your upfront costs.

Seeking advice from a tax specialist experienced in property investment can help you navigate these complexities, ensuring your portfolio is both financially viable and compliant with tax regulations.

In summary

There are many different avenues for you to explore if you are looking to finance your property portfolio. The option you choose may depend on a number of things, including your attitude to risk, any equity you have in existing properties, your ability to get the finance, and your future plans. Therefore, seeking independent financial advice may be the next step to ensure you choose the most appropriate finance solution.

Finally, don’t forget property portfolio insurance which offers comprehensive protection for landlords managing multiple properties. This tailored policy consolidates cover for all properties under one plan, simplifying administration and reducing costs.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this guide is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the content, the financial landscape is subject to change, and individual circumstances vary significantly.

Readers are strongly advised to use this guide as a starting point for understanding the principles of financing a property portfolio. It is not a substitute for seeking tailored advice from qualified professionals, such as financial advisors, mortgage brokers, tax specialists, or legal experts.

The authors and publishers of this guide disclaim all liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the information contained herein.

The latest UK property news headlines include warnings of Council Tax increases, identifies house price hotspots, forecasts forthcoming rent rises and raise concerns about delays to leasehold reforms.

With a wide range of topics covered within these headlines, let’s take a closer look at some of the more important stories for homeowners and landlords.

Council warns of huge tax rises hitting additional home owners across parts of Wales

Local councils in some areas of Wales are warning of steep Council Tax penalties for owners of holiday homes and properties that remain unoccupied for long periods of time, according to a story in Landlord Today recently.

The penalties – a Premium on top of the full standard rate of Council Tax – are designed to help bring underused and long-standing empty homes back into use so that more affordable housing can be released onto the market.

Map reveals house price hotspots where values have risen the most this year

Whereas average house prices have been more or less stagnant across wide swathes of the UK this past year, in some hotspots values have shot up by almost 10%, reported the Scottish Sun on the 23rd of November.

North East Derbyshire – where prices have risen by 9.7% in the last 12 months – has seen the fastest rate of growth. That has added some £21,220 to the price of the average home that now costs £239,560 (although that is still far short of the national average of £293,999).

Prices have also recorded impressive percentage increases in other parts of the East Midlands.

Other parts of the UK have seen significant increases in the value of the average home. In Winchester, for example, prices rose by a seemingly more modest 7.7% – yet this has added £35,720 to the price of a home in and around the historic city, were a house costs an average of £500,120.

In Cherwell, North Oxfordshire, prices rose by £28,300 as 8.4% increases brought the cost of the average home to £363,950.

Rents to rise 18% in next five years – and maybe more

The chronic imbalance between supply and demand in the private rented sector could see rent increases of around 18% in the coming 5-year period, according to Letting Agent Today on the 20th of November.

If there is a further steady exodus of landlords from the market, the imbalance could worsen – driving rents even further upwards.

The only damper on rents climbing further still is the question of affordability – if tenants simply cannot afford the rent, landlords will be unable to ask more.

Market analysts see little hope for a rebalancing of supply and demand. Demand remains high and increases in supply are constrained by disincentives for landlords to invest. The Stamp Duty surcharge on the purchase of second homes is set to increase while tougher Energy Performance standards are likely to discourage landlords from expanding their property portfolios and may lead some to quit the market entirely.

Ofgem announces increase to energy price cap from January

Following its latest quarterly review, Ofgem has announced an increase in the energy price cap from its present £1,717 to £1,738 – an increase of 1.2% or £21 for the first three months of 2025.

Reporting the increase on 22nd of November, the online listings website Rightmove explained that the energy price cap is the average energy bill paid by a typical household of 2 to 3 people living in a 2 or 3 bedroom house. The actual cost, of course, will be determined by the actual size of your home, its energy efficiency rating, the amount of energy consumed, how the energy bill is paid, and the part of the country in which you live.

Leasehold reforms set out amid concerns over delays

The long-awaited reforms of leasehold property tenure will be completed by the end of the present Parliament, the government has promised. But many leaseholders are concerned about delays in implementing the reforms since current arrangements leave them liable to pay escalating ground rents.

Speaking to the BBC recently, the Housing Minister explained that, in future, the standard form of tenure will be a “commonhold” in which homeowners are granted a non-expiring lease.

In the meantime, from this coming January, current leaseholders will become free to extend their lease or to buy the freehold even within the first 24 months of ownership. By the spring, leaseholders in mixed-use developments will be free to assume the management of their building, and within a year from now, the government will propose a ban on the issue of new leaseholds.

“Safe as houses” the saying goes. But there’s an important qualification you might want to consider if you’re planning on leaving your home or let property unoccupied for longer than a month or so. These practical and financial considerations could leave you with substantial unexpected bills – and might even devalue the market value of your home.

So let’s take a look at some of the hidden things you need to know when you have an empty property – including the remedies that point to the importance of unoccupied property insurance.

Maintenance and repairs

When you’re living there, you’re constantly reminded of the need for any essential repairs and maintenance your home needs. But it’s a different picture when you’re away for any length of time. If essential repairs and maintenance go unnoticed because the property is unoccupied, the cost of eventually putting things right will have escalated of course.

Even small, unattended repair jobs – such as that dripping tap, broken windows, or an overgrown garden – may require costly intervention when you return to your home. All these issues are likely to be made that much worse during the adverse weather of a British winter, when additional problems such as rising damp or frozen water pipes may occur.

If your property is not well-maintained – if it looks neglected or abandoned because you have needed to leave it unoccupied, it could fall in market value or become more difficult to sell or to rent. At the very least prospective buyers might be put off by the extent of renovation required and force you to drop your asking price.

Security and vandalism

Even if you are up to date with the repairs and your home is well-maintained, it is still vulnerable to the unwelcome attention of thieves, vandals, or even squatters while you are away for any extended period.

Making good the actual or attempted break-ins of those intruders can be costly indeed, so you might want to step up the security measures for your home – especially if it is to be left empty for any length of time.

Our blog – Technological solutions for monitoring unoccupied properties – and Guide to Protecting your Property include a look at the range of security measures you might consider for your home or any let property that is left untenanted for longer than a month or so.

Council Tax

The rules on your liability for Council Tax (in England) are somewhat complicated and are determined by the relevant local authority, explains the government website.

Typically, you will have to continue to pay Council Tax even when your home is unoccupied. If your home is empty and unoccupied for longer than a year, councils are authorised to charge a premium rate on top of the regular Council Tax and this premium can be up to 4 times the normal rate if the property has been empty for longer than ten years.

Councils may grant a discount on the rate payable if your home is unoccupied while major repairs or structural work is in progress.

There are also exemptions from the need to pay Council Tax – including, for example, those homes that are unoccupied while subject to probate proceedings.

The importance of insurance

The additional vulnerabilities faced by your home when it is empty for any length of time all point to the importance of insurance (except for the need to pay Council Tax, of course).

That importance is made all the more critical because most insurers will severely limit – or even cancel altogether – the regular building and contents insurance once your home has been unoccupied for longer than 30 to 45 days (the exact interval varying from one insurer to another). Insurers limit the cover available simply because of the additional risks to your home when it is empty.

What that means, of course, is that you will shoulder a considerable financial burden if any theft, loss, or damage occurs while you are away.

To indemnify yourself against that risk, a standalone policy – unoccupied property insurance – is available to restore the protection your property will need when it stands empty. Contact us today to discuss how our empty property insurance can help protect your home against unexpected events.

The highlight of the most recent UK property news headlines was, of course, the historic Autumn Budget by the country’s first female Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Let’s take a brief look at the main points from the Budget likely to affect the housing market, together with other leading stories of the month.

Property and the Autumn Budget

The principal decisions affecting both homeowners and landlords are:

Personal tax thresholds

SDLT

  • the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge on the purchase of second properties (holiday homes and buy to let rented accommodation, for example) is increased from the current 2% to 5% with immediate effect;

Right to Buy

  • the discounts previously available under the retained Right to Buy scheme for the purchase of a tenant’s council home have been slashed in value;

New homes 

  • housing policies are a feature of the new government, and the Chancellor has promised investments of more than £5 billion for the building of new homes;
  • in addition, a further £3.1 billion is directed towards the Affordable Homes Programme, some £3 billion to help guarantee an increase in the building of new homes, and support for small housebuilders.

UK property sales hit a high

Against a background of more favourable mortgage interest rates and a brighter economic outlook, property sales are enjoying a surge in activity last seen four years ago, reported the Buy Association recently.

In October, sales were 25% up on the same month last year while the demand from house hunters also rose by 23%.

The supply of new properties is also up – by 13% – over the same months last year, reflecting an 11% increase in the volume of homes for sale. That increase in supply has helped to hold the inflation in house prices to just 1%. 

Zoopla House Price Index: October 2024

The listings website Zoopla, on the 28th of October, echoed many of Rightmove’s findings, namely:

  • thanks to a boom in sales activity (the highest in four years), sales in the pipeline are currently 30% higher than this time last year and are worth an estimated £113 billion;
  • an increased supply of homes for sale and the affordability issues faced by some prospective buyers puts a brake on the inflation of house prices – currently holding at around 1%;
  • because rents have been rising and mortgage interest rates falling, encouragement has been given to first-time buyers over renters – with the former now responsible for 36% of all sales;
  • nevertheless, the Budget’s changes to Stamp Duty charges mean that 20% more of first-time buyers will be paying the tax.

As Zoopla says, it is turning into a “bumper year” for sales in the housing market. Incomes have risen. The competition among mortgage providers has resulted in lower rates of borrowing, driving forward the biggest upsurge in sales since the end of Covid restrictions.

Rightmove: 5 reasons it’s a buyers’ housing market

In an article on the 21st of October, the online listings website Rightmove advanced five reasons why there is currently a buyers’ housing market:

  1. while house prices have gone up, prices have grown more slowly than average in October compared to what is expected this time of year;
  • asking prices have had to be more competitively pitched;
  • there are some 12% more properties currently on the market than a year ago;
  • sellers are finding it takes longer to sell a home (the national average time for homes to sell is currently 61 days); and
  • some prospective buyers continue to face affordability issues.